which is set on fire, and when the oven is hot enough the wood is raked
out, the loaves shoved in, and the door shut. We youngsters gathered
round one on seeing the woman was about to open it. When she drew out
the first loaf, with a fine crust and an appetizing smell, we could not
help giving a cheer, it was so wonderful to us. We went back to the
boat with a lot of food, to which was added fish, bought from a man as
he landed from his canoe, which we fried. That evening we had the best
meal since we left home, and at night had plenty of room to sleep, for
the air being hot a number of us slept beneath the trees. We safely got
past the fourth and last of the rapids, floating out of a little canal
into a large lake. The wind was still in the west, so we had to keep
tacking, and it was afternoon when we passed Cornwall and steered for
the south side of the St Lawrence. Allan was pointing out to Grannie
what was British and what was American; she remarked, on comparing the
houses on the two banks, 'That gin Canadians wad build houses of wood,
they ocht to hae the decency to paint them.' On nearing the
landing-place at the foot of the rapids, Allan pointed to a group of
people and told her they were Yankees. She shook her head, she did not
believe him, they were too like our ain folk to be Yankees. The Soo is
the longest rapid of the St Lawrence measuring nine miles, but is not
nearly so wild as those we had passed, having fewer waves and intervals
of smooth water. There was no canal to help in getting to the head of
it, and it was beyond the strength of our crew to push the boat up with
setting-poles. There was a towpath along the U.S. bank on which stood
three yoke of oxen. A stout cable was hooked to their whiffle-tree and
they started. On getting fairly into the strength of the current the
crew dropped their poles into the water, and it was all men and oxen,
strained to the utmost, could do at times to stem the sweep of the
mighty tide. It was slow work but we won to smoother water and the boat
tied up for the night. It was hot when we entered lake St Francis, it